. >> modern technology has given us medical advances once never imagined. britain is starting an ambitious new project. 100,000 patients with serious diseases are going to have their dna fully ampped in the hope that will help doctors develop new treatments. it is the first country to launch such an extensive database. our correspondent has the details. >> cancer happens when our dna mutates and our normal cells grow unchecked. mapping the mutations that drive cancer is already happening. for the first time, it will be offered to huge numbers of patients. who will carry out the sequencing and analysis over the next five years has not been worked out, but the prime minister on a visit to cambridge said the project has the potential to transform cancer treatment. >> the dna database can help us to do that, but we also want to keep britain at the forefront of biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry. we can be a world leader. >> at the heart of each human cell is a bundle of tightly packed dna lounge in the spiral shaped of the double helix. there are 3 billion